Hoshi
by Irish Yasha
Summary: I'm going to have to put this story on hold for...a while. I'm sorry to any who actually read it, but I can't write a TMM fanfic when I'm not in a TMM mood, which, sadly I haven't been in for a while. Gomen gozai masu!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew. Tsuchi (Earth), Mizu (Water), Ryuu (Axe), and Keihi (Cinnamon) are aaaaallll mine.

Five years. Had it really been five years? It still seemed like yesterday. It seemed like yesterday he told her he loved her. Yesterday he died for her. And yesterday he left…but it had been five years.

Ichigo Momomiya strolled through the snow towards her job—a waitress at the Mew Mew Café. So much had changed there in those past five years. Especially the uniforms. No longer were they the overly frilly dresses with heart-shaped aprons, maids' crowns, and black sneakers. No, now the Mew Mew girls wore black dress pants, blouses (that matched their old Mew Mew colors of course), and simple, old-fashioned, black high-heels that managed to look sophisticated and cute at the same time. They served more than just treats as well. Purin, who had raised her four brothers and little sister, had begun to bring her siblings with her to the café after school. She cooked them dinner one day, a customer saw and ordered the same thing, and the place became a popular hang-out restaurant for middle- and high-schoolers.

Ichigo giggled to herself. Purin had been complimented before on her many talents, but cooking was a new one for her. The little bundle of energy had been absolutely speechless.

_Little_, Ichigo thought. _She's not so little anymore. None of us are. We've all grown so much…well, except maybe Zakuro, Keiichiro, and Ryou. They were always too tall anyway._

Arriving at the front door, Ichigo sighed. She never used to think this much, but then, there had never been much to think about. It was Retasu's birthday today. Keiichiro was in the kitchen baking a cake. Purin was wrapping the gifts. Zakuro was decorating. Mint was drinking tea. And Ryou was supervising. Ichigo thought for a moment, how perfect Mint and Ryou were for each other. Both were rich, lazy, snobby, over-bearing, slave-driv—no. She would not have an argument with those two in her head, as had become a habit. She loved them to death; so much that sometimes she just wanted to kill them. She headed to the back room to change into her uniform (her blouse was pink—her favorite color). It was her job to keep Retasu busy until Ryou gave the word.

Retasu had been acting odd lately. Even more confused than normal. Sometimes, when Ryou gave her an order, she stared at him blankly and then blink her eyes rapidly in surprise. Ichigo intended to question her about it after the party. For some reason, she thought it had something to do with a certain indigo-eyed alien.

But, then again, she had her own alien on her mind.

The party was a hit. Everyone had a ball. There were dancing, karaoke, a piñata, and gag gifts—courtesy of Ichigo and Mint—and a "scrum-didily-umptious" cake decorated with a mermaid singing to six dolphins. Yes, it was amazing.

Then they had to clean it up.

Which took hours, of course.

"Hey, Retasu, want to come over tonight? I finally got settled in my new apartment and you're the only one who hasn't seen it," Ichigo said with a pout.

"Huh? Oh, uh, o-okay," Retasu had been spacing out again.

_Why_? thought Ichigo.

As the girls began the trek to Ichigo's apartment, they somehow struck up a conversation about Pai. Well, Ichigo was talking about Pai, Retasu was talking about pie.

"So," Ichigo began, "been thinking about Pai lately?"

"Not really," the green-haired Mew replied, "I haven't really been in the mood for pie lately. So…no."

"Well, then what's been on your mind?"

Retasu blushed, "What do you mean?"

"Well, if he's not on your mind then what is? Oh, wait! Don't tell me. You have a crush on Tartuto!" Ichigo teased.

"'He'?" Retasu asked, "He—Oh! 'he' as in Pai, not pie, how silly of me!"

"Wait, who did you think I was talking about?"

"Pie."

"Well, if you thought I was talking about Pai, then why didn't you get it?"

"Not Pai, pie. You know, like Keiichiro's blueberry pies?"

"Oh! You thought I was talking about pie when I was talking about Pai."

"…But if you were talking about pie, then why'd you call it a 'he'?"

"No, not pie like Keiichiro's blueberry pie. Pai, the alien."

"Ooooooh."

Needless to say, both girls were now completely, utterly, and thoroughly confuzzled. And laughing the rest of the way to the apartment.

"Wow! You live so much closer to the café and you still arrive so late!" Retasu had become slightly bolder around her friends. She was still shy and apologetic around strangers, but around her friends, she had grown a backbone. Mint would never forget that horrible moment when she interrupted Retasu from her new book…

They were both standing outside the front door of Ichigo's apartment, freezing. Where were those keys? She had left them in the pot of the fake tree she kept outside her door. There was a secret spot in the fake pine needles where she could slip the key in. It was impossible to find, but she had found it by chance. _But where was the key?_

Ichigo responded half-heartedly to her friend's teasing, "Ha-ha, Fishy. Don't say a word or I'll leave you out here when I finally find that key."

"Whatever you say, Koneko-chan."

The girls froze. Ichigo slowly turned to Retasu, "Did you just call me 'Kitten'?"

The now 19-year-old Mew slowly shook her head in response. They both turned towards the railing and looked up.

There, floating without a care in the world, with that adorably cursed devil's smirk, was Kish.

With a deep gash, pouring blood, in his back.

"Looking for this?" he asked, holding up Ichigo's key.

They didn't think to cry out. They didn't think to reach for their pendants, tucked away in their coat pockets. They simply let him in. They couldn't think. It had been five years since the aliens were last seen.

And here was Kisshu. Smiling away, like a child who had finally bested his elder brother. And yet, he was dying. Or at least, that's what their minds told them when they snapped back to reality.

"_**OMIGOSH, YOU'RE GONNA DIE! OMIGOSH! OMIGOSH! OMIGOSH!**_" Poor little Retasu. How could one so meek, so shy and timid, hope to tame the unstoppable force that was a panicking Ichigo?

By using her newly grown backbone of course!

She closed her eyes, and thought back to the power she had felt when Mint interrupted her new novel series.

"Ichigo, _**CALM THE HELL DOWN!**_"

Kish stared at the green-headed girl, jaw agape, from his perch on the island's stool. He didn't remember her being _that_ way five years ago.

Ichigo immediately sat down, not daring to face the Wrath of the Dolphin.

"Now," Retasu continued in her quiet voice, "I'll go get some extra medical supplies from the café. You two wait here. Ichigo, try to bandage him up, or stop the bleeding at the very least. Keep pressure on the wound, that should help. Make sure you clean it before anything else. Kish, you're going to have to remove your shirt and when I get back, you are going to tell us what happened," and with that, she left for the café.

"Alright, Kisshu, you heard her. Off with the shirt."

"Oooh, since when did you get so _**forceful**_, Koneko-chan?"

"Save it," Ichigo replied. Before he took off his shirt, she noticed that he had changed his style. His forest green shirt, though bloody and torn, covered his entire torso. It was also…how could she put it…_**much**_ tighter than his old shirt had been. She felt her cheeks heat up. He was also sporting—were those jeans?—that were black, but seemed to be fading to gray. The tips of her ears turned pink. And she had seen those black leather boots somewhere before. On a biker maybe? She remembered that they came to mid-calf, but his pants were covering them. His hair was no longer in the two pig-tails he had sported five years ago. It now hung wildly around his face, giving it a wind-blown look.

All around, he was one bad-ass looking guy. Her entire face became tomato red. And then he took off his shirt.

His muscles were far more defined than she thought they had been. He was lean, but the abs and pecks, biceps and triceps, they were all clearly visible.

"T-turn around," she told him, voice squeaking right when she didn't want it to.

"Getting a little nervous, Kitty-cat?" His voice had gotten a bit deeper. Now, instead of sounding girly, he sounded like one of those guys in an all-boy band. His voice was deep enough to be recognized as a man's, but incredibly smooth.

"Of course not, Kisshu-baka," she retorted. Why, oh why did Retasu have to leave her alone with this man? She could've stayed here, and Ichigo could've gotten the supplies. This man was going to make her go crazy, and he wasn't even doing anything!

With a start, Ichigo realized she had been referring to him as a man. But he was the immature, obsessive, control-freak! He couldn't possibly be considered a man. Could he? _Sweet Jesus_, she thought, _he even has muscles on his back! How is it even possible to consider a back attractive?_

But even though she was stunned by the "attractiveness" of his back, she was horrified by what marred his toned muscles. A cut ran from his right shoulder to his left side. As she cleaned it, she was relieved to find that it wasn't deep and that most of the blood was there simply because it hadn't been washed off, yet. She wrapped a bandage around his chest, over his shoulder, making sure it was tight enough to keep pressure on it. She didn't notice how he trembled every time her fingers brushed against his skin.

"Well, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. It should be healed in a few days," Ichigo told him. Looks like they wouldn't be needing those extra supplies after all. That was when Ichigo made the biggest mistake that day.

"Hey, Retasu," she said when she heard her friend pick up, "looks like we won't need those bandages after all. The wound isn't that deep. You have to pick up your brother? No, sure. I'll be fine here (**A/N: WARNING! WARNING!**). Please, how hard can it be to baby-sit a grown man?" Ichigo giggled at the thought and hung up.

She turned to Kish, "Well, looks like it's just you and…me…to-…-night." Her sentence slowed as she fully grasped the situation. Kisshu. Was in her apartment. Wounded. And she had involuntarily volunteered herself to watch him. By herself. In her apartment. Alone.

Kish smirked.

Oh, #$%.

When you walk into Ichigo's apartment, the first thing you see is the Closet. Ichigo called it the Closet because that's where she kept most of her things that went into a closet—coats, shoes, a rosy pink purse, and a shelf on either side that held things yet unpacked.

Straight through the Closet was the kitchen/living/dining room (the K.L.D. room). A medium sized plasma screen t.v. was hooked up on the wall beside the entry way, so she could watch it and the door at the same time, and a small island in the center served as the dining table. Four ebony stools were placed on each side.

To the right of the Closet, before you reached the K.L.D. room, a small hallway led to her bedroom on the left. It was hers because it had its own bathroom. On the other side of the hall was a guest room (which also held unpacked boxes) and a guest bathroom beside it.

Kish and Ichigo were currently in the K.L.D. room. Kish was admiring the black porcelain vase in the center of the island that held an odd type of rose that was yellow near the stem and then faded into a dark pink color. Ichigo was fighting her own inner war and panicking as she noticed how tired Kish was getting.

Where oh where was Kisshu going to sleep?

She had no couch, no guest bed, her sleeping bag was still at her parents', and she didn't have a futon. Did that mean she'd have to share her own bed? B-but…that was…well it just…oh who was she kidding? She knew she loved the fact that she was going to share a bed with such a handsome creature. And loving it is what scared her.

For the first time all day, she thought of Masaya. Or should she say Aoyama? She really didn't know anymore. He had become so distant, so withdrawn. She had planned so many fun dates, and each one seemed to push him away further. So she stopped reaching out. He called less and less, until she was lucky if she got two calls in one month. He preferred to text her now, as if he didn't want to talk to her, didn't want to hear her voice.

She had come to love the earth so much, but it tied so many of her happy memories to him. What was she thinking? She couldn't let Kish sleep in her bed! That would almost be cheating! But what if he was cheating on her? What if that's why he had become so withdrawn? Had he met someone else over in England, but didn't know how to break it to her? He was too kind to just say "It's over," and walk off. And he wouldn't go out with someone else before breaking up with her first. Would he?

Kisshu noticed her frustrated look, "Kitten? What's wrong?"

She began stroking her neck, where the bell used to be. It had gotten old and rusted. Then the ribbon had snapped. Masaya hadn't gotten her a new one.

Ichigo yawned. All this thinking was making her tired. Or maybe her cat genes were kicking in. She laid her head down on her arms and decided to rest her eyes. She was asleep when Kish carried her into her room. She was asleep when he lay down beside her. And she was asleep when he covered them with her silky red comforter.

Ichigo awoke the next morning with something pinning her down. Groggily, she realized she was in her bed. _How did I get here?_ she thought. She was jolted awake when she realized the weight was Kish. The upper half of his body had roll on top of her. His left arm wrapped around her waist, while his head rested in the crook of her neck. Her heart fluttered. Her face heated. Her tail and ears popped out. It was her small "eep" that woke the alien man in her bed. He slowly, tiredly lifted his head and batted the sleep from his eyes. He looked at her ears for a moment of amusement, and then looked back down at her face.

"Good morning, honey," he said and gave her a good morning kiss.

Ichigo had almost forgotten the feeling of transforming into a cat. Kish suddenly seemed to be a giant. His surprise was clearly written all over his face. She'd never done that in front of him before. The situation was so absurd. He must still be asleep. He began to laugh.

This was obviously a dream.

"_**AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! ICHIGO! STOP CLAWING OFF MY FACE! PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU!**_"

This was obviously not a dream.

"So, can you change back?" Kisshu asked tenderly. She was a sour little black pussy-cat in the mornings.

**~Nya~** (I could if I kiss you, but I'm not going to kiss you.)

"Come on, Koneko-chan. How do I change you back?"

**~Nya~** (Let's see how long it takes you to figure it out.)

"Are you really mad at me, Kitten?"

**~Nya~** (Yes, and how am I able to say these long sentences in one meow?)

A light dawned on Kisshu's features. Hey, if it changed her into one, it could change her back right? Worth a shot.

Ichigo didn't even see him coming. He was a snake. Swift and silent. And he went for the kill.

Kish watched the pink mist fade as Ichigo transformed back. Hmm. That would be a bit of an annoyance. How was he supposed to kiss her now?

Ichigo was thinking. About Aoyama. How often had she turned into a cat because he kissed her? She couldn't remember even once. She was only 18. Surely people didn't begin to lose their memory this early in life.

She sighed as she began to cook breakfast. While she fried the eggs, she stole glances at Kish. He still didn't have a shirt. Maybe she could get him a new one for Christmas? If he stayed around that long. After all, it was only in—today. Christmas. It was today. She let out a choked gasp. Hadn't Aoyama said he would visit her for every holiday, no matter what? Christmas was one of the only holidays celebrated almost world wide. The biggest day of the year. So, where was he? She ran to where the phone sat on her night stand. She dialed a number.

"Mom? Hey. Yeah, Merry Christmas to you, too. Um, I was wondering, have you heard from Aoyama lately? No? Okay, thanks Mom. Tell Dad I said 'Hi'. Bye, Mom."

She called Retasu, Purin, Zakuro, Mint, and Keiichiro and Ryou. None of them had heard from Aoyama in the past month.

Finally, Ichigo dialed his number. It rang. And rang. And rang. Just when she was about to hang up, a voice came on the phone.

"Hello?"

This was not Aoyama. This person had an English accent. And…it was female!

"Um, h-hello," Ichigo replied, "Is Aoyama-kun there?"

"Oh, yeah. Hang on a sec." Ichigo heard the voice away from the phone, calling to someone in another room. What she heard made her stomach drop.

"Baby? Someone's on the phone for you!"

Ichigo stood there in shock. Had this girl just called him 'baby'? There was an extremely slim possibility that there was another 'Aoyama' in England who happened to have this same number. The voice that came on the phone next was no mistake.

"Hello? Who is it?"

_Aoyama!_

"Hello? Hello? Look, I'm sorry, but I don't have time for prank calls right now."

"The same way you apparently didn't have time to break up with your girlfriend?" she asked bitterly.

"…Ichigo? It's not what it sounded like I swear!"

"Then what was it, Aoyama?"

"She's just a classmate from the University—"

His "classmate" had a different story.

"I'm just a what? After last night you're going to just write me off as some one night stand? What the hell Masaya, I thought you said you loved me?"

Ichigo's hands trembled. What did they do last night? On Christmas Eve? Did she really want to know? And why was she calling him Masaya? They hadn't even gotten that far yet! He-he…oh God, he…!

Someone came and took the phone out of her hand. They set it back on the receiver, just in time to catch her when she fainted.

"Ichigo-onee-chan," called a voice that strangely sounded like Purin.

"Hey, old hag! Wake up!" What was Taruto doing here?

"Is she alright?" And why was Kisshu so worried?

When Ichigo opened her eyes, she was surrounded by…well, everyone. The Mews, Keiichiro, Ryou, even the aliens. "What happened?" she asked.

"Well," Kish began, "you were on the phone, started yelling, and when I put the phone back on the receiver, and you fainted."

"Then he called me," said Retasu.

"Then she called me, na no da," said Purin.

"Then Purin called us," said Taruto, "Don't know how, but she did."

"Then we all called everyone else," finished Pai.

"Oh," Ichigo said, "I fainted, huh? Wow."

Everyone looked at her worriedly. She was speaking so quietly. This was not the Ichigo they knew during the Christmas season. She was supposed to be smiling, handing out silly gifts, and making hot chocolate that no one would like but would drink anyway. "Hey, can we all talk later? I'm…a little tired." They all left her in peace, except for Kish and Retasu. She didn't fall asleep. She wasn't tired per say, her body just felt exhausted.

"Kitty-cat, what happened?" Kish was so worried. He was also livid. His race had better hearing than humans. He had heard every word from his hiding spot outside the bedroom door. Aoyama—how dare he? Didn't he realize how fragile Kisshu's toy was? She had poured all of her love into their relationship, and because of that he could break her so easily. Kish found himself growling quietly, too quiet for the girls to hear.

"Aoyama…he…I don't really know what they did, but…when I called him, a girl picked up the phone. I asked if Aoyama was there, and…she called him 'Baby'. I…," she trailed off.

_She looks like an abandoned puppy_, Retasu thought. _Aoyama, how could you? Don't you know that Ichigo loved you? I don't understand, I thought they were so happy together…_

Everything was so confusing. And what was worse, it was Christmas Day! Today was a special day for all of them, and Masaya had just ruined it!

Kisshu sat there, fuming. _That…that…arghhhh! I can't believe him! The __**only**__ reason I left in the first place is because I thought he would keep her __**happy**__!_ Soon enough, Retasu and Ichigo could hear his growling. Frankly, it reminded them of a wolf. Or a tiger. Or some other "man-eating" creature.

"Retasu?" Ichigo asked timidly.

"Hai?"

"Could you make me some tomato soup? Your soup always did make me feel better," she smiled slightly, trying to show them she was okay. But she wasn't. Retasu knew. She would have asked for chicken noodle soup.

"Okay. Give me a few minutes," Retasu said just as quietly. She got up and headed for the kitchen.

So this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. All comments, flames, suggestions, etc. are excepted.

And thanks for _all_ your "help" Meahgan. You're such a _good friend_. In your own words, "Was that sarcasm? I think so." XD


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: …this is a little odd. I have people telling me they like Retasu's OOCness, and people who don't…^-^***

**Hmm, maybe I should clear up something real quick: Retasu is still Retasu. She's still quiet, shy, and timid, she's just…opened up a **_**little**_** more with the others ;)…even in the anime, it had an episode that showed she'd grown a little back-bone, so I'm just elaborating on that. (Small disclaimer: I do not own Black Haru, though sometimes I wish I did)**

**Plus, I've based it off some of my own experiences—I'm a quiet person, but if you interrupt me while I'm reading a good book…wow. And Ichigo is freaking out because she has an alien in her apartment, pouring blood, who used to be her enemy, she hasn't seen in five years, and was just thinking about earlier that day.**

**She's a little confuzzled (**** I **_**love**_** that word!)**

**Anyway, on with the story!**

**P.S. If I start getting**_** too**_** detailed, just let me know ^-^**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Kisshu *sniff***

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Ichigo was silent, trying to think of an excuse to get Kish out of the room. She just wanted to cry in peace. But no one would let her do that. They would all tell her that it would be okay. That she would get over it. Well, maybe she would. _If_ she could get the crying out of her system. She knew that if she didn't cry now, it would just build, and keep building, until she snapped—more than likely hurting someone else when she finally lashed out.

Kisshu awaited Ichigo's orders. She looked pale, sitting there amidst the maroon sheets and pillows. He was quickly becoming bored, even though the situation was what it was. Patience had never been his strong suit. So, he studied her room.

The walls were a chocolaty brown color, and each wall had only two things either against it, in it, or hanging from it. The wall to the right of the door had an old dresser made of oak, and the eight drawers had shiny brass handles. A vanity sat beside it, covered with various make-up containers. The handles on this were shining as well. She obviously took care of her possessions. Across from the door, the wall contained a window. The gossamer curtains floated on the breeze coming through. To the left of the door rested her bed. The frame made of even more oak, the sheets and comforter were a deep red. A night stand (also oak—you had to admit, she was consistent) sat beside the bed, holding a cordless phone, a lamp, and a small blue book.

Kish looked towards the ceiling. When had she become so obsessed with red? The chocolate-colored walls he understood—she loved chocolate, but what happened to her innocent pinkish-ness? Red was such a…what was the word he was looking for?

Passionate. Red was a much more passionate color.

Hmmm, but that blue book looked _very_ interesting. Very interesting indeed. Perhaps it was a…

A…

A…

Darn it. This is why he tried to take Pai with almost everywhere he went nowadays. _He'd_ know what it was. Speaking of which, where had everyone gone? When had they left? He could still hear Retasu in the kitchen making tomato soup, but nothing else, other than Ichigo's sniffles…

%%%%%%%%%%

_**"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"**_

*CRASH*

"What was that?" Retasu asked no one in particular. She looked down at the spilled tomato soup. _Okay, pick up the broken bowl, or go check on Ichigo. Broken bowl. Ichigo. Broken bowl. Ichigo. Broken bowl. Ichigo…Ahhh! If I choose to pick up the broken bowl, something bad might be happening to Ichigo. But, if I go check on Ichigo, someone might come in and cut there foot on the broken bowl because I didn't pick it up! But what if Ichigo's hurt? She can't be in that much trouble, can she? Wait, this is Ichigo I'm talking about! With Kisshu! One of them's probably half dead by now. OH NO! No, Ichigo, don't kill him! You're supposed to fall in love with him!_ And with that last thought, broken bowl forgotten, Retasu raced to Ichigo's room to save Kish—pausing only a moment to reflect on how odd that thought was.

%%%%%%%%%%

Blood. Lots of blood. A river of blood flowing from a freshly opened wound. Winding its way down to the floor, where it became a lake of red.

Okay, maybe that was exaggerating a little bit and maybe it was only a few scratches from Ichigo's kitty claws. But, hey! It was enough to turn Kish's face a…healthy?...red.

Retasu was currently bandaging Kisshu's face. Of course, this was Retasu, so he looked kind of like a half-wrapped mummy.

"Ow. Ow-ow-ow!"

"Well, Kish, as glad as I am that you're trying to get Ichigo over Aoyama, I'm afraid kissing is most certainly _not _helping."

"But that knee-oh-spor-in _hurts_. You don't have to do this, y'know. Pai's got stuff that'll probably work just as good. And, it _doesn't burn_."

"Would you like some crackers to go with that 'whine'?" Finally! Retasu had been thinking of that come-back for years! She couldn't use it on Minto because she only complained when she did _work_, which was _never_. And Ichigo had already heard it about…20 times this year.

Unfortunately, Kisshu didn't get it, "_Huh_?"

Oh, the joys of explaining an insult to a stupid person! Meh, might as well hurt his ego.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Pai will explain it to you when you're older."

"Oh, oka—_heeeey_! When did you get so _mean_, Fishy?"

*SNAP*

Kisshu looked around him. What had that been? Suddenly, Ichigo flew into the room, "Kisshu! _**DUCK**_!"

"Huh?"

*BAM* *WHAP* *CRASH* *BANG*

Enter: Retasu's _new_ vocabulary!

"You son of a (censored)! You (censored)ing, (censored) up, (censored) (censored) (censored)! Don't you (censored)ing _dare_ (censored) call me a (censored) (censored) _fish_! I will (censored) rip out your (censored) hole and (censored)ing _feed_ it to the (censored)ing _fish_!"

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Kisshu were currently hiding around the corner, in the hallway. Ichigo looked like she was going to have _fun_ cleaning up all the broken dishes and buying new ones. Kish looked even paler than usual.

%%%%%%%%%%

Finally, Retasu's ranting had died down. Ichigo was at the counter—a pile of broken glass, ceramic, plastic, paper, and miscellaneous objects before her—counting the casualties of war. "Retasu, did you have to Tasmanian Devil my kitchen?"

*GASP* "Gomen nasai! I don't know what came over me, Ichigo! I'm sooo sorry! I didn't mean to tear up your kitchen! Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai!"

Kisshu had now witnessed Black Retasu. And he could only summon one thought when he heard her apologizing, O.o_…the __**hell**__?_

"Again, I'm sorry, Ichigo. I was just trying to get my point across that I'm not a fish, I'm a dolphin," Retasu turned to Kisshu, who cowered behind the island, "dolphins are mammals, not fish. They breathe oxygen like humans and other mammals do. They also—"

"Nyaaah! Sorry for interrupting, but I've already heard more than enough about dolphins. Pai had a short obsession with them for a while. And he shared _everything_ he learned. As a matter of fact, why don't you go collaborate with him? I'm sure he would _love_ to hear what you have to say about dolphins!"

Before either girl could protest, Kisshu opened a portal and pulled them through.

%%%%%%%%%%%

"Oof!"

Ichigo landed on something fluffy. Upon opening her eyes, she found that she was now lying on a large bed. It looked almost exactly like hers, only the red was substituted with green and the brown was substituted with black. Really. Even the wooden dresser and night stand—the _only_ other furniture—were made of ebony.

The night stand had only one object on it, though. A picture of Ichigo in human form and a picture of her in Mew Mew form, side by side in a chestnut frame.

_Even after all these years?_ she thought.

Looking up, she saw the tale-tale sign of an alien teleporting. The rippling air faded to reveal a slightly banged up Kish. Red began to stain the bandage wrapped around his right shoulder.

"Kisshu! Your wound reopened!"

"Huh?" he said, looking at his shoulder, "oh, it did. Huh. Didn't even notice, haha. Guess Pai wasn't lying when he said he'd kill me—ow!"

Ichigo looked at him in alarm, "Pai gave you that huge gash in your back?"

"What? Oh, no. Pai and Taruto don't even know about it. They think the bandage is just there because I broke a few ribs. Alien bones heal faster than flesh wounds do."

"Then what happened?"

"Oh, I might've dropped Retasu off with Pai, told them 'Don't do anything I wouldn't do!', got the crap beat out of me, and well, here I am."

"No, Kisshu," she said quietly, "I mean, how did you get that wound in the first place?"

Kisshu's eyes narrowed. His smirk left his face. A mask of cold indifference seemed to fall upon his features. "That is of no concern, Ichigo. Don't worry about it."

"But—"

"Drop it."

He'd never been so unwilling to talk to her before. I mean, this was _Kisshu_. He leapt at every chance he had to even _look_ at her, and now, he wouldn't talk to her. And come _on_! She was a _cat_. Cats are known for their _curiosity_. Telling her to leave it alone only made her more _curious_. Was he _that bad_ at inductive reasoning?

Moments of awkward silence passed by.

"So, I'm guessing this is your room?" Ichigo was the first to break the silence. She needed conversation, damn it!

All at once, Kisshu's smirk came back, his eyes lightened up, and he spoke with pride, "Yep! Do you like it? You are now on my home planet, Oiishi! You can look out the window and see some of it if you'd like."

Ichigo followed him to the window, where a cool breeze wafted in. Pausing to check it out, she noticed the window didn't have curtains, like her's. Instead, it had some type of reed-looking blinds that were currently rolled up as high as they could go. She resumed her stroll to the window where Kish waited patiently for her. He stepped back when she reached him, and gave a genuine smile when he heard her gasp.

%%%%%%%%

**So, that's chapter 2!**

**Okay, I want your honest opinion. I've read so many stories where the Mew Aqua makes Kisshu's planet look like Earth, I kinda want to do something different. I was thinking about doing a sort of Avatar-themed planet, but I want to know what you, my beloved readers ^-^, think.**

**And, if it's not too much trouble, could you click that little button down there that says 'Review'? Please? You know you want to!**


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